Nigerian man and woman arrested for possession of cocaine in South Africa

A 29 year old Nigerian woman and a 31 year old Nigerian man were yesterday May 22nd at different times arrested at the Cape Town International Airport for possession of cocaine. According to South African Police Service officer, Van Wyk, the police were conducting random stop-and-search duties at the domestic arrivals at about 11.20am when they approached two African women.

One of the women’s bags was searched by a constable who discovered five small packets concealed in a pair of socks, wrapped in black pieces of plastic.

"When police members unwrapped the packets they found white powder in the small see-through plastic packets. When they asked the suspect about the substances she explained that she is using the substances which is known to her as the drug cocaine. Members decided to physically search the suspect further and discovered more cocaine in about 11 packets wrapped in black pieces of plastic.

The packets were concealed in various parts of her body and also inside her shoes. Prior to searching the suspect, when she was asked to declare anything, she said nothing and when she was asked if she is aware of every item in her bag, she agreed and said that she had packed her bag herself."

The 29-year-old woman was arrested for alleged possession of 30 gram of drugs with estimated street value of R7500. She would appear in the Bellville Magistrate’s Court soon. About an hour before the lady was arrested, a 31 year old Nigerian man was also arrested at the domestic arrival of the airport for alleged possession of a substance presumed to be cocaine.

The police officer says said police officers were “doing profiling” at domestic arrivals when they spotted a man picking up a pink suitcase from the carousel and walking away in the direction of the exit. Police officers approached him and asked to search his suitcase. The search revealed a hidden compartment with 22 plastic bags containing a “suspicious white substance”.

A sniffer dog reacted positively to the substance. "The weight of the substance is estimated to be 2.36kg with a street value of approximately R708 000. The suspect was detained and is due to appear in the Bellville Magistrate’s Court soon,".